New York Musical Theatre Festival | New York, NY
Contract
Other
NYMF CODE: $850 project stipend
Personnel
Michael Cassara, Casting Director
• EPA Rules are in effect.
• A monitor will be provided.
Performers of all ethnic and racial background are encouraged to attend.
Always bring your Equity Membership Card to auditions.
Other Dates
NYMF EPAs:
4/17 and 4/26 (and possibly one additional day, TBD.)
Notices for 4/26 EPA and possible additional day will be posted soon.
Seeking
AEA performers for:
CASTLE WALK
CROSSING SWORDS
MARRY HARRY
SASQUATCHED! THE MUSICAL
THE AWAKENING OF ANGEL DELUNA
See below for each show’s breakdown.
Breakdown
YOUNG IRENE
20’s. Beautiful, ambitious, practical, lacking confidence but clear-eyed about life’s challenges. More soprano quality than present-day Irene, but basically also a warm mix.
DIANE
H.C.’s secretary, African-American. Efficient but aware of undercurrents and nuances in everyone’s conversation. Sympathetic to Irene, loyal to H.C., struggling to deal with contradictions. No singing.
ENSEMBLE
Three women and three men, all good singers and dancers, who are featured throughout in musical sequences, and also play smaller roles, in particular:
GINGER ROGERS
Actually Irene’s mental image of Ginger, which is colored by Irene’s own suspicions and prejudices. She has one solo song which needs expert comic timing.
FRED ASTAIRE
Appears briefly, again as a figment of Irene’s imagination. Should have a pleasant light tenor, just like the real Astaire.
CROSSING SWORDS
Producer: Forte Musical Theatre Guild
Book/Music/Lyrics: Joe Slabe
Director: Igor Goldin
Music Director: TBD
General Manager: Suellen Vance
Casting Director: Michael Cassara, CSA
Rehearsals: on/after 6/17. Performances: between 7/15 and 7/28
If unable to attend EPA, please send a picture/resume to:
Michael Cassara Casting
333 W. 39th Street – Suite #601A
New York, NY 10018
Synopsis: When the boys of St. Mark’s join the girls of St. Anne’s to present “Cyrano de Bergerac,” three friends get more of an education than they bargained for. Love blossoms, jealousies flare, and secrets are revealed that may end their youthful innocence as life imitates art in this funny and poignant coming-of-age story.
SEEKING:
MISS DAIGNAULT (also plays OLDER NICKY)
mid to late 50s, Female, Parisian French Accent. She is the French teacher at St. Anne’s and the director of the school play. Her passion for the arts and her empathy for her students make her an excellent teacher, but her wartime experience in France hints at deeper, unresolved issues and may hold the reason for her choice to start a new life in America. Alto/Mezzo, must hold in tight harmony.
SIR (also plays OLDER JEREMY)
mid to late 50s, Male, English (RP) Accent. He is the Math teacher at St. Mark’s and has been sent, against his will, to chaperone the play rehearsals at St. Anne’s. Strict and authoritarian with a sarcastic sense of humor he, nevertheless, believes he is preparing the boys to make their way in a difficult world. His gruff exterior masks the heart of a disillusioned artist. Baritone, must hold in tight harmony.
JEREMY
17, Male. Enthusiastic and talented theatre geek who plays the role of Cyrano in the school play. He delights in introducing his friend, David, to the theatre world and can be a bit of a brat when it comes to teasing Sir. A born mimic and class clown, he sometimes uses humor to keep people from knowing too much about who he really is. Rudimentary knowledge of foils is an asset but not necessary. Tenor, must hold in tight harmony.
DAVID
17, Male. Good looking and a natural athlete who is a little ill-at-ease playing Christian in the school play. More comfortable on the rugby field, he is convinced to try out for the play by his best friend, Jeremy and becomes smitten with Nicky. His locker room bravado hides the fact that he has never really had a girlfriend before. Rudimentary knowledge of foils is an asset but not necessary. High Baritone, must hold in tight harmony.
NICKY
17, Female. If St. Annes’s were doing the show with an all-girl cast, she would be playing Cyrano. Although she feels like playing Roxanne is a step down for her, she is excited to be working with the boys and develops an instant rapport with Jeremy. She is a smart over-achiever and a bit of a teacher’s pet, who idolizes Miss Daignault. Rudimentary knowledge of foils is an asset but not necessary. Mezzo, must hold in tight harmony.
MARRY HARRY
NYMF Special Agreement - Approval Pending
Producer: The Dog Lives Productions, Ltd.
Book: Jennifer Robbins
Music & Lyrics: Dan Martin & Michael Biello
Director: Kent Nicholson
General Manager: Starry Night Productions
Casting: Howie Cherpakov
Rehearsal Dates: Exact dates TBA
(will rehearse first two weeks of July; possibly part of the last week of June)
Performance Dates: Exact dates/times/venues TBA
(there will be five presentations during the last two weeks of July)
Sparks fly when Harry, trapped as cook at his dad’s failing East Village restaurant, meets landlord Sherri. They fall madly in love, bonding over the parental ties that bind and choke them, fast tracking to marriage - until everything implodes. With humor and heart, MARRY HARRY explores ideas about family loyalty, marriage, love, food, and finding one’s path in life.
SEEKING:
LITTLE HARRY
Male; Caucasian; almost 30, cute and appealing; a cook who works in his family’s failing Italian restaurant; dreams of being a chef on his own but feels guilty about abandoning his father. Inexperienced with women but a real romantic at heart. Sweet, sensitive, but not socially stunted. Pop Bari-tenor (Bb2 - G4)
BIG HARRY
Male; Caucasian, late 50’s-mid 60’s. Little Harry's blustering father and boss; fear of his own mortality has him seeking the fountain of youth and neglecting his live in girlfriend Debby in favor of skirt chasing. A big personality that masks a big heart. Baritone (Gb2 - F4)
FRANCINE
Female; early 50’s to mid 60’s. Sherri’s mother (and Big Harry’s landlord); upscale & stylish. A strong willed professional woman; has made sacrifices to have a better life and is determined that her cherished daughter has everything she wants. Not over the top or a one note ”steam roller”. Alto (Ab3 - Eb5)
PING
Female; 20s-30’s; any ethnicity; a local East Village/Lower East Side performance artist. Offstage, she is an offbeat, friendly, free spirited, artistic girl from the neighborhood. Her onstage persona, however, is highly theatrical, serious, bold, slightly dangerous, edgy, and fearless. Could be sexy/funky or less traditionally beautiful, idiosyncratic or even androgynous—Pings beauty comes from within.
• NOTE: Ping does not “sing” in a traditional sense—her performance pieces are stylistically more of a rap/spoken word set to music (think Laurie Anderson/Yoko Ono). Seeking a strong, grounded actress with good comedic instincts. Should have good musicality and verbal dexterity—a plus if able to read music
WOMAN #1
any ethnicity; 20's to early 30's to play:
TANYA, a young hottie, DESIREE, bridesmaid/performer at Ping’s wedding Alto (Ab3 - Eb5)
MAN
any ethnicity; 25-40's to play:
HECTOR, a dishwasher, WAYNE, wedding planner’s assistant, MINISTER, DELIVERY MAN, HUGO, Ping’s assistant. Baritone or Tenor (Ab2 - A4) should be able to execute a short rap verse
[THE FOLLOWING ROLES ARE CAST]: open to seeing potential replacements
DEBBY:
CAST. Female; late 40’s-late 50’s. Big Harry’s longtime, long suffering girlfriend. A bit kooky but also fiercely loyal and maternal. Alto with strong belt (Ab3 - F5)
MANOLO/LUDMILLA/XUAN/BERNARD
CAST. Male; any ethnicity, 30’s-50’s, a versatile and transformative comedian/comic actor in the “Peter Sellers/Martin Short” vein-will play a Spanish restaurant worker, a female Russian bridal gown designer, a Vietnamese waiter and a flamboyant French wedding planner. Comic tenor who can sing well in a variety of foreign accents (Bb2 - Eb4)
SHERRI
CAST. Female; an almost 30 year old babe. Affluent but not snobbish. Sweetly vulnerable, slight eccentric with a quirky sense of humor. Educated, resourceful—looking to start a career apart from the family business. Pop Soprano w/good mix (Bb3 - F5)
WOMAN #2:
CAST. any ethnicity; 20's to play:
BLANCA, a kitchen helper, RAMONA, bridesmaid/performer at Ping’s wedding Soprano with Belt (Ab3 - Eb5)
SASQUATCHED! THE MUSICAL
NYMF Special Agreement - Approval Pending
Producers: Phil Darg, Jules Darg
Book/Music/Lyrics: Phil Darg
Director/Choreographer: Donald Brenner
Music Director: TBA
Dates and Venue: TBA (NYMF, July 8-28, 2013)
Synopsis: Bigfoot exists! Arthur – a kindhearted, talking Sasquatch – is lost when he is befriended by a young boy, Sam. Together, they encounter quirky locals and elude a ruthless TV crew investigating “Bigfoot” – as the stage erupts into hilarious social commentary on human-Sasquatch relations and a rockin’ musical romp through the woods.
If unable to attend EPA, please send picture/ resume to:
Phil Darg
12109 85th Place North
Maple Grove, MN 55369
SEEKING:
ARTHUR
Arthur is a Sasquatch who speaks perfect English without any accent. He is dignified, gentle, and articulate (but largely unfamiliar with human culture). He is completely sincere, and utterly devoid of deception, guile, irony, sarcasm, or any type of “hip” attitude. Arthur does sing – but only in a straightforward fashion (i.e., he is NOT cool or rockin' etc.). Ideally, the actor playing Arthur would be tall (over 6 feet), able to sing a strong (and sweet) tenor, but also have a low, dignified speaking voice. The ability to walk/move with some suggestion of Sasquatch qualities (without overdoing it) is a plus.
SAM
Sam is a ten-year-old boy with two over-protective parents. He is relatively quiet and respectful, but at the same time yearns to take more control over his own life and seek some adventure. Ideally, Sam would be played by an actor who could portray a 10 year old boy. Sam’s singing duties are light, so projecting the right character/speaking voice/height/age may be the prime considerations here. Unlike so many depictions of children in the media these days, Sam is NOT “cool/hip/smarter-than-an-adult” etc. He is curious, vulnerable, and just emerging from his shell.
BERT
I originally envisioned the famous character actor Joel McKinnon Miller (Big Love) for this role. Bert exhibits many characteristics of a local rustic in terms of clothing, grammar and mannerisms. Bert is not terribly bright, but he's an honest guy and - as it turns out - has his priorities in the right place. Bert is between the age of about 35 and 50 years old. He sings mostly high baritone/tenor. His main song is “Eight Feet Tall and Smelled Like a Skunk” – which is done in the ‘50s rock style of Elvis/Buddy Holly/Jerry Lee Lewis, etc.
ZEKE
Zeke is anywhere from about 35-50 years old. He owns the local bar, dresses casually (down vest, plaid shirt and baseball hat?), and is a clever fellow – although he has never been able to translate his cunning into a profitable formula. He is also wily and observant, a bit wicked, and very attracted to his wife (Thelma). Zeke probably has stubble/moustache, long hair or a mullet (Jack Black - are you available?). Zeke sings “Welcome to Bigfoot Central” – which is a real "rockin’ tune" - so the higher pitched rock singing voice (along with comedic ability) is paramount for this part.
THELMA
Thelma is 35-45 years old and is married to Zeke – but is starting to see the limitations of being married to a bar owner in the rural backwoods of the Pacific Northwest. She has a fading red-state sex appeal – but she and Zeke still obviously harbor strong feelings for each other. She is brassy, loud, tacky, earthy – and able to co-sing “Welcome to Bigfoot Central” – in a rock style mezzo-soprano with hints of Janis Joplin.
PAT THE PARK RANGER
Pat is anywhere from 30-45 years old, and has worked as a park ranger in Columbia National Park for many years. She is unmarried, but is a closet romantic. As demonstrated by her song, Pat is very dedicated to her job and is oriented towards nature and environmentalism – although she is not quite as savvy in this area as she thinks (thus, she gets lost in her own park). She should be able to sing “I’m An Eco-Friendly . . . Park Ranger” in mezzo-soprano and make it sound like something from Hair – and a bit like Joan Baez and/or Grace Slick at the same time. Character-wise, Pat is more funny and awkward rather than being a simple romantic ingénue (a big part of the character’s appeal).
CINDY
Cindy is 35-45 years old and is Sam’s mother. She is over-protective, thinks she knows best, and is a bit too concerned with projecting a perfect image – both as a mother and in her physical appearance. She is often involved in controlling Sam and sees this behavior as a virtue – even though she genuinely loves her son. Together, Jim and Cindy represent the quintessential “helicopter parents” - as evidenced in their song. Her singing voice is more mezzo-soprano “show tunes” style rather than rock (with the exception of “Lost in the Woods”). I originally envisioned Jane Krakowski in this role.
JIM
Jim is 35-45 years old and is Sam’s father. Jim enjoys portraying the engaged father figure – even though he is often detached from both Sam and Cindy. Jim wears neat shorts, a polo shirt and a baseball hat – and pretends to enjoy the outdoors while continuously checking his smartphone for messages. He is most comfortable in the role of bread winner and struggles to connect emotionally with his son, even though he loves his family. Most of his songs are in the high baritone-tenor range, and his singing voice tends more towards the “show tunes” style (with the exception of “Lost in the Woods”).
CHAZ
Chaz and Dakota are nearly inseparable. Chaz is about 25-35 years old, has a stylish haircut, and his clothing/looks suggest a media personality (which he is). Chaz may (or may not) also sport a British or Australian accent. Chaz is ambitious, energetic, and often bossy and condescending. Chaz is currently a cable TV personality – but would like to become a bigger network star. His main song is “Shake the Camera and Run” – in which both he and Dakota do some rappin’ hip-hop vocals. He also co-sings “Lost in the Woods” in a high rock register.
DAKOTA
Dakota is about 25-30 years old. Like Chaz, she sports a stylish haircut – along with attractive clothing and looks which suggest that she is a minor media star as well. Dakota knows her craft and is good in front of a camera, but often defers to Chaz as she seeks to promote herself and become a bigger star. Chaz and Dakota often work together, matching each other’s level of energy and presenting themselves as co-hosts – even when the camera is not capturing their actions. Together, they’re talkative, shallow, and often sensationalistic. Even so, they're funny and likeable in their own way. Dakota’s main song is “Shake the Camera and Run” – in which both she and Chaz perform some rappin’ hip-hop vocals. She also sings “Lost in the Woods” in a mezzo-soprano rock vocal style.
STEVE
Steve is 25-40 years old. He sports long hair, wears casual clothes, and practices questionable grooming habits. Steve is a slob, but he is good at using the camera and his nonchalant dry humor provides a needed counterbalance to the energetic Chaz and Dakota. Steve usually does not get excited – unless he suddenly breaks into a dance or is about to lose his camera to a Sasquatch. Steve’s main song is “Shake the Camera and Run” – and ideally, he would be able to sing the low part of the song’s chorus (a funky low baritone) and be able to dance a bit.
CHRIS THE SEISMOLOGIST
Chris is 30-45 years old, and wears a plaid shirt and a knit hat (suggesting his connection to the environment and the Pacific Northwest). Chris has worked outside alone in the park collecting seismic data for many years, and as a result is somewhat socially awkward and lonely. Chris may also be a bit nerdy (wears glasses?) but is very dedicated to the job and has a genuine appreciation for nature and the outdoors. Chris sings “Landslides, Earthquakes, Tremors and Volcanoes” in an open, strong tenor.
CHORUS MEMBERS
the chorus consists of 4-6 actors portraying various parents, tourists, and park rangers. The Chorus Members MUST be persons who can really SING in a variety of vocal styles/ranges (and possibly dance too). The Chorus Members get to sing a lot (in most of the songs), have their own song (“Rhubarb!”), and will be playing a more important role than the script as currently written might suggest.
THE AWAKENING OF ANGEL DELUNA
NYMF Special Agreement – Approval Pending
Producer: Angel Wings NYC LLC
Book: Judylynn Schmidt
Music: Lee Ellis
Lyrics: Judylynn Schmidt & Lee Ellis
Director: West Hyler
Choreographer: Kate Griffler
General Management: Ulmer Theatricals
Dates and Venue TBA
Ollie, a hobo clown, returns to the Flyin’ DeLuna Family circus seeking to capture the heart of fallen trapeze star Angel Deluna. His romantic illusions are shattered when a mystical stranger arrives to dismantle her beloved carousel, forcing them both to face the tragic secrets of their past. A 1933 circus world comes alive with the spectacle and excitement of a forgotten era.
If unable to attend EPA, please send picture/ resume to angeldelunacastings@gmail.com
SEEKING:
ANGEL DeLUNA
Female. Must play 50+ years old. An ex-trapeze star; delicate, funny, and at times profound-- The role requires an actress of considerable emotional depth, warmth, subtlety and heart. A true tour-de-force. Mezzo-soprano with a belt.
OLLIE THE CLOWN
Male. Must play 50+ years old. Strong Musical Comedy and Light Opera voice. Has a “Heart of Gold” -- in love with Angel; wounded but hopeful, and harbors a secret past. Baritenor.
FRED
Male. Must play late teens or early 20’s. Angel’s nephew, an underappreciated circus hand; and new father searching for his place in the world, faced with emotional choices. Tenor.
MIKE
Male. workman from the auction house~ approximately mid thirties/ forties- Mysterious, playful. We are interested in persons of color. Baritenor – wide range with a lovely falsetto.
DEUCE
Male. The deliciously shifty circus owner who pulls all the strings. Captain Hook meets Billy Flynn. Deuce. Baritone.
YOUNG ANGEL DeLUNA
Female. 20s. Strong dancer. Any voice range.
YOUNG MONTY
Male. 20s. Clowning/juggling experience a plus. Baritenor.
DUNKIN THE CLOWN
Male. 20s. Clowning/juggling experience a plus. Legit tenor.
SERENA THE FORTUNE TELLER
Female. 20s. Clowning/juggling experience a plus. Legit soprano or alto.
CARMELLA THE CANDY GIRL
Female. 20s. Clowning/juggling experience a plus. Legit soprano or alto.
